Holy Trinity

Catholic

School

Equality

Scheme

EQUALITY SCHEME

Purposes: To show how Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School is going to meet the duty to promote disability equality for disabled pupils, staff and parents, as well as race equality and gender equality complying with relevant legislation.

Our Mission Statement is ‘Working Together in the Love of God’ and we aim to include everyone in our Community in this statement. In accordance with our school values and Catholic ethos, we pledge to respect the human rights of all our pupils and educate them about equality. We will also respect the equal rights of our staff.

Who is responsible?

The governors are responsible for:

  • making sure the school complies with the relevant equality legislation and for
  • ensuring that the school Equality Scheme and its procedures are followed.

The head teachers are responsible for:

  • making sure the school Equality Scheme and its procedures are followed;
  • making sure the race, disability and gender equality plans are readily available and that the governors, staff, pupils and their parents and guardians know about them;
  • producing regular information for staff and governors about the plans and how they are working;
  • making sure all staff know their responsibilities and receive training and support in carrying these out;
  • taking appropriate action regarding cases of harassment and discrimination, including racist bullying, homophobic bullying and bullying related to gender or disability.

The Headteachers are responsible overall for:

  • dealing with reports on discriminatory incidents.

All staffare responsible for:

  • dealing with racist, homophobic and other discriminatory incidents;
  • being able to recognise and tackle bias and stereotyping;
  • promoting equal opportunities and good race relations;
  • avoiding discrimination against anyone for reasons of ethnicity, disability or gender;
  • keeping up to date with the law on discrimination;
  • taking up training and learning opportunities.

Visitors and Contractors – will be made aware of the School Equality Scheme should the necessity arise.

Disability Equality

Definition of disability

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 defines a disabled person as someone who has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day to day activities. Physical impairment includes sensory impairment. Mental impairment includes learning difficulties and mental illness.

Our plan addresses specific duties under the Disability Discrimination Act 2005. It also relates to our Access Plan.

Our scheme has involved a working party of:

  1. Senior Leader/SENCo.
  2. Staff member with disability.
  3. Parent member with disability.
  4. SEN Governor
  5. Two pupils with disabilities.

This group meets every year to discuss and draw up an Action Plan of how our school can better cater for disabled pupils, staff and parents.

The DES contains an Action Plan for the next three years 2010 to 2013 to meet the General Duty (GD). The scheme, including the Action Plan, will be reviewed annually and a report will be made to the Governing Body. A copy will be published for staff and the School Council annually.

Policies and Practice are monitored regularly by SLT and Governors through:

learning walks, lesson observations, Assembly evaluations, feedback from pupils, staff and parents, consultation with relevant LA personnel, Audit of resources.

Action Plan to address the Disability Equality duty (Spring 2012)

DE Duty Themes / Targets / Actions / By whom / Start / Finish / Evidence
Promote equality of opportunity between disabled person and other persons / To continue to ensure children with disability will enjoy full access to the curriculum. / Continue small group work with Class Teacher and TA.
Continue links with outside agencies. / JT, staff and pupils will continue to monitor this provision / March
2012 / 2013 / Disabled pupils feel that they are given every possible opportunity to access curriculum.
Keep abreast of current disability issues and provide training to support these. / As above / SC to bring in dyspraxia information for JT / SC / 2012 / 2013 / Pupils with dyspraxic tendencies are better able to move/show co-ordination in PE and throughout school.
Encourage participation by disabled people. / To continue to include a statement in FS booklet to new parents re any adjustments needed for supporting their child / Include statement – SC to check this is clear to parents/govs / SC / Spring
2012 / Spring 2013 / Information in FS booklet
Improvements in access to the curriculum / To ensure that extra support outside classroom is an appropriate length of time to maximise learning opps. / Monitor SEN provision / JT to check with AC through regular meetings / 2012 / 2013 / Suitable provision for SEN pupil provided in class and out of class.
Differentiated
planning.
Take steps to take account of disabled people’s disabilities / To incorporate appropriate seating for people with physical disabilities – ensure that there are hard chairs as well as benches. / Staff to be aware of this at occasions such as concerts and special assemblies – include in Joseph letter re summer production about those requiring particular seating arrangements. / JT / 2012 / 2013 / All parents informed about equality issues regarding seating at Joseph performance so that all parents able to view performance clearly.
As above / To provide appropriate seating for disabled member of staff in office. / HH to choose new type of chair for office. / HH / 2012 / 2013 / More comfortable seating for HH – able to work comfortably all day.
Publish our DES / To ensure that DES in place is still up-to-date and relevant. / SC to confirm with JT what needs to go on website. / Office staff and SC / 2012 / 2013 / Increased awareness of HolyTrinitySchool’s DES and its contents by parents.
Report on DES to governors annually / For all governors to be aware of DES and its contents / JT to report via SH at gov mtg. / JT/SH / 2012 / 2013 / Increased awareness of HolyTrinitySchool’s DES and its contents.

RACE EQUALITY PLAN 2012

Duties

This plan sets out how HolyTrinityCatholicPrimary School will work to promote race equality, addressing specific duties under the Race Relations Act 2000.

The following plans/policies will be assessed and reviewed every three years.

Ethnic Monitoring

Ethnic monitoring sheets completed by interviewees and staff applying for courses are returned to the Local Authority.

Data is collected from parents and passed on to the Local Authority.

Minority ethnic groups of children are tracked and monitored to ensure good progress is maintained.

Annual racist incident monitoring return to LA.

Action Plan to address the General Duty to promote race equality

Actions / By whom / Start / Finish / Evidence that it is completed
i. Promote equality of opportunity / Analyse data of any EAL and ethnic minorities / JT / 2012 / 2013 / Awareness of any gaps in attainment in these areas.
ii. Eliminate unlawful discrimination / Discuss at disability working party meetings to see if any evidence of this / JT / 2012 / 2013 / Any points to develop?
iii. Eliminate racist harassment / As above / JT / 2012 / 2013 / As above
iv. Promote good relations between different ethnic groups / Difficult to action as no ethnic groups / - / - / - / N/A

v. How policies and practice are monitored

Learning walks, lesson observations, assembly evaluations, feedback from pupils, staff and parents, audit of resources and consultations with relevant LA personnel.

vi. How information gathered is used

Information is used to identify training needs and find any gaps in practice or policies.

vii. Staff development

Staff meetings, Inset and relevant courses.

viii. Annual reporting

In relation to the Action Plan, linked to the School Development Plan, will occur as follows: It will be provided by the SENCo to Headteachers and Governors.

ix. The next race equality plan

In March 2013 we will build upon this plan’s actions, the results of monitoring and other information.

Gender Equality Plan 2012

Duties

This plan sets out how HolyTrinityCatholicPrimary School will work to address the General Duty to promote gender equality, addressing Duties under the Equality Act 2006.

The following plans/policies will be assessed and reviewed every three years.

Gender Monitoring

Learning walks, lesson observations, assembly evaluations, feedback from pupils, staff and parents, audit of resources and consultation with relevant LA personnel.

How information gathered is used

Information is used to identify training needs and find any gaps in practice or policies.

Staff Development

Staff meetings, Inset and relevant courses.

Annual reporting

It will be provided by the SENCo to Headteachers and Governors.

The next gender equality plan in September 2012 will build upon this plan’s actions, the results of monitoring, and other information.

3. Action Plan to address the Gender Equality Duty

Actions / By whom / Start / Finish / Evidence that it is completed
i. Eliminate unlawful sex discrimination. / Provide suitable changing areas for Y5/6 for PE / JT to discuss with staff / 2012 / 2013 / Screen/curtain in classroom for privacy?
ii. Eliminate harassment related to gender. / Follow OCC procedures. / SLT and Governors / 2012 / 2013 / Annual Stress Survey of staff
iii. Promote equality of opportunity between men and women. / Follow OCC procedures.
. / SLT / 2012 / 2013 / Checks on OCC procedures being followed
iv. Promote equality of opportunity between boys and girls. / Analyse data with boy/girl focus / SLT / 2012 / 2013 / All policies refer to equality.

Headteacher ………………………….…… Date: ……………………………….

Chair of Committee: ……………………… Date: ……………………………….

Chair of Governors: ……………………… Date: ……………………………….

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C:\Home$\Policies checked\Equality Scheme 2012.doc